Invitation to No-on Elementary School

If you are wondering "#WhatIsThisAbout?", please head here first.

What is the "No-on Elementary School Story"?

I thought of this attempt after a conversation with Aozora Chikuwa-san, where we talked about how "it would be interesting if noters time-traveled and were classmates."

Although I tried making a class roster for the fictional "No-on Elementary School," so many people gathered that it felt a bit dull to just release it as is...

So, I read many of the classmates' notes and wove them into a single story, which is the link above.

After publishing the first "No-on Elementary School" story, I was exhausted and fell asleep, then went out to drop off and pick up my child from lessons. Since my child wanted to walk, I walked them there and returned home until it was time to pick them up.

I happened to open note. A spin-off had been born.
I was surprised by the non-stop notifications. It was my first time experiencing this in 10 years of using social media.

When I woke up the next morning, a theme song of incredibly high quality had also been born.

Noters spun the story by adding settings little by little, as if passing a relay baton, and 10 spin-offs were born within three days of the release.

As a result of receiving an unexpectedly huge response, I worried.

"Is it okay for us to just enjoy this among ourselves?"
"Might others feel like they are being shut out?"

However, this game surely wouldn't be fun with a large group of people.

Originally, I started this game with the intention of accepting up to 40 people.
However, once I started writing the story, I realized it was impossible, and I even had to move the deadline up.

I also thought that if the things I had to manage as the initiator increased, I probably wouldn't be able to enjoy it either, and it would become painful instead.

So, what should I do?

I thought I would try creating many classes and branch schools, and build a system where people could freely gather, connect, and enjoy themselves within them without me having to do anything.

The class I created is "Class 3-n".

This 'n' has three meanings.
The 'n' in 'note'.
The 'n' in 'nan no hanashi desu ka' (What are you talking about?).
I will explain the other meaning later.

Well then, first, let's try increasing the number of classes.

I thought of three: 'o', 't', and 'e'.

Class 'n' is a team full of curiosity that gathered even without knowing what the topic was. They are extremely agile.
I thought it would be nice if the other classes had their own characteristics as well.

1. Let's choose a class with the Sorting Hat

So, I created the Sorting Hat.

By using the Sorting Hat, you can find out which class is recommended for you.

I will not touch upon the characteristics of each class here. Please enjoy the sorting process with a fresh perspective.

I have actually been running something like an online salon for free for nine years.

I also created a system there to divide all members into four teams.
To help people choose what suits them best, I created an article inspired by the 'Sorting Hat' from Harry Potter.

(This time, I incorporated Arlon-san's 'Luster Kingdom Story' method into the sorting hat process.)

By the way, I tried assigning an English word that acts as a theme to each class.

With that in mind, I also added a retroactive name for Class n. I haven't heard your opinions yet, so for now, I've tentatively set it as 'Nest'.

2. What happens when a class is full?

I am considering a system that can run on its own, without my presence.

There are currently three classes.

Since there are already people who want to participate, I would like you all to decide among yourselves, to some extent, 'how many people to accept'.

For applications received by 23:59 on 3/2, I will prepare the roster myself!

Once the capacity is reached, I will have everyone close the applications.

▼ Regarding deadlines and recruitment, I thought that if you post with this tag, I would be able to find them from here.

If there are people who still want to participate after the deadline, I will add more "branch schools" or "grade levels."

The four classes I created are named "Note Elementary School" and "Uraji Branch School."

By changing these branch schools or grade levels, you can keep the "n," "o," "t," and "e" classes as they are while continuing to create new communities.

3. Let's play freely and seriously!

I will share this based on what I have tried myself (and what I am planning to do in Class N).

In the case of Class N, it is a situation where everyone started creating freely from a single story I posted at the beginning.

It's not just stories; there are songs too.

But there is no need to be bound by this. You don't have to write a story. I hope this will be a place where you can spend time loosely while freely deciding your own roles.

Since we went to the trouble of deciding on "roles," you could get hints from that to plan something. You could think about what you can do with others in the same "club."

Please think of this as a place where we can weave things together while freely coming up with various ideas, without being bound by what I have done or what everyone in Class N is doing.

I think the biggest appeal is the "interaction." For nearly 10 years, I have been writing by myself. That is the case with my work as well.

However, when I got tired and restarted note as a break, I was thrilled by the gentle connections, the inspiration born from them, and the joy of seeing my actions change.

I am the same way, but isn't the "first word" difficult? Even if you want to become friends, you might only be able to say things that are harmless.

When it comes to building a class, I hope to lower the hurdle for that 'first voice' even just a little bit.

4. Guide to How to Play

Now, from here on, I will introduce a guide on how to play after enrollment.

You don't have to be bound by these, but please consider them as hints that might make interaction go more smoothly.

(1) Let's exchange profile books

Depending on your generation, you might find this nostalgic: it's the exchange of 'profile books'.

I thought about this after creating the first story, but even after reading many notes, I still can't see everyone's settings.

I created a profile book so that we can get to know the 'true' you, stripped of external factors like work and family, and use that for interaction and creation.

The profile book is in the article above, so please feel free to use it.

▼ Click here for an example of how it was used in Class 3-N.

Everyone was playing by skillfully incorporating the profile books into their stories.

(2) Let's try making an avatar

This is something I would like to propose to Class N as well: why don't we try making 'avatars'?

I'm sure there are people who are good at drawing, and some might even draw them for you. But before drawing, I think you need a 'character design'. This is probably difficult with just the information on note.

That's why I suggest trying to make one as an image of what you want to look like.

▼ If you use this site, you can complete a wonderful image just by choosing various parts like eyes, nose, and hair.

You can create an otherworldly look, but personally, since it's a "school",

I think that would be good. I feel like having restrictions actually makes it more interesting.

Of course, given the nature of choosing parts, there aren't that many options.

But even with just the condition of being a "twin-tailed girl," there are so many variations if you change up the combinations.

▼Here is what I made using the site above.

▼You can also make boys.

▼If I were to make my own avatar, it would look something like this.

I just went all out and made it super cute!!!!

(3) Let's do a school-wide project

Since it seems like there will be more than just "Class N," I think it would be wonderful to have projects that involve inter-class interaction or inter-class competitions.

This is an area I'm not very good at, so I'd be happy if everyone could feel free to come up with their own ideas.

Fragments of ideas

Nothing is decided in detail yet.

These are just fragments of play ideas I'm throwing out there.
I'll list them as keywords.

Please feel free to use them for your creations and projects.

As I wrote at the beginning, I want to ensure that no one feels "shut out."

I would be happy if this could be a place for free, casual, and fun interaction and inspiration.

Now, lastly, regarding the "seed sowing" that I will be supporting.

I will be accepting applications until 23:59 on Sunday, March 2nd.
After that, please handle things on your own ^^

If you proceed with the group assignment, you can move on to the reception area.

Let's enjoy some fun times and inspiration together!